About the project

What is the project about?

This is a joint project between the University of Salford and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. We are collecting clinical photographs of common maternity and neonatal conditions in women and birthing people (and/or their babies) with Black, Brown and ethnically diverse skin tones. These images will be included in a digital teaching handbook and made available globally to universities, midwives, student midwives and other healthcare professionals as an open access digital educational resource.

This project is recruiting service users who have booked their care with MFT and are receiving care at one of the three sites: North Manchester, Oxford Road Campus and Wythenshawe.

Why is this project happening?

Women, birthing people and babies from ethnically diverse backgrounds often experience poorer outcomes and experiences of maternity care compared with those from White backgrounds.

One reason is that maternity staff may find it harder to recognise signs of certain health conditions in darker skin tones, because most medical textbooks and training materials contain images of lighter skin only.

This project aims to improve training for maternity staff by creating a collection of images showing common pregnancy, birth and postnatal conditions in Black, Brown and other ethnically diverse skin tones. These images will be used in education and training of midwives, nurses, doctors and families, so that staff can better identify conditions and provide safer, more effective care. The resource will also enable women and birthing people and their families to recognise important presentations of conditions, supporting earlier understanding, reassurance and timely access to care.

What will happen if I take part? 

• If you, or your baby, have a condition that we would like to take an image of, a member of the maternity clinical team will thank you for your interest and will explain the project to you and answer any questions you may have. 
• You will be asked to give informed consent for your image (or your baby’s image) to be taken and stored securely. 
• If you agree to take part, a member of the Clinical Photography and Medical Illustration Service from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust will attend to take the images. 
• Your consent will also cover the use of your image for publication (for example, in the teaching handbook, educational resources or future academic articles). 

All images will form part of your medical record, but they will also be released to the University of Salford for educational publication once you have given consent. None of your identifiable information will be shared or published.

What kinds of images will be taken?

The photographs may include, but is not limited to, common conditions such as: 

• Pregnancy changes (e.g., stretch marks, varicose veins, swelling) 
• Breastfeeding (e., g., positioning, attachment, mastitis, nipple trauma, blocked ducts) 
• Changes occurring in skin whilst receiving treatment or interventions in the hospital (e.g., cannula related tissue changes, pressure sores and ulcers, bruising or bleeding under the skin) 
• Postnatal changes (wound healing of caesarean section scar or perineal stitches, infections, abdominal muscle separation) 
• Neonatal conditions (jaundice, blue spots, rashes, birthmarks, bruising) 
• Images of routine care during antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods. 

All images will be taken professionally and sensitively, following NHS policies on dignity, consent privacy and confidentiality.

How will my information and images be stored?

• The images will be part of your secure medical record at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. 
• They will also be shared (anonymised) with the University of Salford for inclusion in the Maternity in Colour Project. 
• All data are protected under NHS policies, the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. 
• None of your personal data (name, address, date of birth etc) will be shared with the project.  

How will my images be taken? 

The clinical photography team are specialists in capturing medical images. Every effort will be made to focus only on the area of the condition being photographed, so that identifiable features (such as your face) are not included. However, in some cases features such as birthmarks, moles or tattoos may appear in the image, which means we cannot guarantee complete anonymity. 

What if I change my mind? 

You can withdraw your consent up to 56 days after the photograph has been taken. After this time, the images will have been anonymised and released for publication, and they cannot be withdrawn. 

Will taking part affect my care? 

No. Taking part in this project is voluntary. Choosing not to take part will not affect your care in any way.

Who should I contact if I have any questions about the project?  

If you have any questions or concerns about this project, you should raise it in the first instance with Derin Webb and/or Kylie Watson, who will do their best to answer your questions.  

Thank you for taking the time to read this leaflet and for considering contributing to the Maternity in Colour Project. Your involvement will help improve maternity care and outcomes for families from diverse backgrounds.